Faith-Based Bigotry Is Still Bigotry

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#politics #commentary #supremecourt #lgbtq

[@Pthommie]

As a 71 year old gay man I can truthfully say that EVERY homophobe I've ever encountered has been a Christian.

[@kathy-t5q]

Facts.

[@pdxcorgidad]

I hate that you've encountered homophobia at all. I've also personally seen it from other religions as well as atheists. Anecdotal on both our parts but seeing bigotry just hurts, esp if you are the victim.

[@MLBlue30]

Christianity prefers its own identify politics.

[@DawnDavidson]

Sorry, though unsurprised, to hear that. I imagine there are some homophobes who are of other conservative faiths (eg Islamic). But the sheer numbers of conservative Christians in this country do make it far more likely that we’ll run into homophobes who are conservative, bigoted Christians. Either way, bigotry sucks, and definitely not in a good way.

[@petehoover6616]

As a 68yo gay man who came out in Israel that assumption about Christianity is a mistake! Homophobia exists outside of religion. Those people know they are doing evil but it feels good.

[@francoislacombe9071]

I will dismiss any and all legal arguments involving God's will out of hand, unless they can put God on the witness stand and question and cross examine him like any other witness.

[@foppishdilletaunt9911]

Emphasis on the “cross”examination.

[@karllincoln6859]

I'm pretty sure that would be hearsay, no?

[@glarynth]

Hearsay, or heresy? 🤔

[@3182john]

As a Christian, I also agree. This country isn’t a Christian nation.

[@martinbaxter4783]

And, as case law, I introduce ‘Who Is This God Person Anyway?’ by Oolon Colluphid.

[@MajikMann]

So it’s wrong to call a bigot a bigot. So typical of the modern right wing movement - calling someone racist is worse than racist behavior.

[@Kastila]

So... Alito wants people to be able to pull out a piece of paper with "I can do what I want, because Christian" on it to get away with bigotry? Pleasant.

[@sloanekuria3249]

I mean, that's how he does it

[@robertmiller9735]

That's been the tool for decades now.

[@Ahzpayne]

Incorrect. He wants people to have been forced into being Christian. No papers necessary if you've made participation mandatory. He is a Dominionist. They do not believe in free will for anyone but church leadership.

[@rbourne35]

Yup. It's actually an argument Christian extremists have been making for awhile. It's persecution to stop them from bullying people.

[@snakebitcat]

Only if they do that to persecute the people he wants to see be persecuted.

[@iExploder]

To add, "recognizing and calling out religious bigotry" is not in itself "bigotry against religion".

[@lyokianhitchhiker]

To the American conservative, suffering consequences for one's actions is bigotry

[@TheRadAbe]

@@lyokianhitchhikerokay now do Islam and Islamophobia

[@margaretwordnerd5210]

@@TheRadAbe in many Islamic states, Muslims expect the kinds of power and privilege enjoyed by American Xtians, or even the amount of power and privilege *craved* by the truly zealous. Some American Muslims may feel they deserve that sort of power and privilege, but they lack the power to demand privilege. If you want to "both sides" this, cite an example showing that American Muslims have as much influence as American Christians. A member of any demographic can be bigoted against any other demographic and all bigotry is wrong, but the bigotry from an oppressor is more dangerous than the bigotry from the oppressed.

[@dawn4383]

@@margaretwordnerd5210 Pretty much the closest we have is that one town where a large number of muslims voted in people to ban pride flags.

[@Mallory-Malkovich]

At first it was funny when bigots clutched their pearls and claimed people were using 'slurs' against them when simply pointing out their bigotry, but it's been going on so long now that I'm afraid most of them have forgotten it was a grift. They might really believe that being called a bigot is worse than _actually being one._

[@videocrowsnest5251]

It's ironic how commonly, folk who exhibit hateful behavior seem to really dislike it when you call them what they are. A lot of racists don't like being called racists, for example. Getting incredibly dramatic about it like they were just accused of murder. And I think this comes down to the bigots in question not viewing themselves as bigots (a bad thing even to them), and then getting angry that other people do not examine reality though their own view of it. An easy solution of course would be for them to just quit being jerks and that's that. But it feels like the entitlement and desire to bend the world to be subject to their whims is really strong. I think a lot of people are also a little too entitled to understand that all actions have consequences. And these consequences cannot be controlled. The only thing anyone can ever really control is themselves, after all. So, if they act like bigots, they best be ready to get called one too. A mature person would probably take that and do some self-examination. But tends to be most bigots aren't serious, mature people, capable of too much self-reflection that isn't performing a lot of mental gymnastics. They rather want to have their cake, and eat it too: be a bigot, but not deal with any of the consequences of that choice - such as being called one. Fortunately, reality doesn't work that way, and so here we are. Needing to try to educate grown adults (usually well into their middle-ages, though the range is vast) who never grew up about the realities of life and looking at them throw various destructive totalitarian temper tantrums in response due to not being able to handle the fact they are not all powerful nor any better than anyone else. As hate can never triumph, it's interesting to see they also felt like picking the side that is destined to always in the long run fail, lose, be defeated, be bested, proven and shown to be wrong, and become as it is an obsolete relic of the worst chapters of history doomed to die and vanish into futility having done nothing but sown misery and suffering into the world. In the short term though, sadly, these folks do cause immense amounts of destruction with this fascistic temper tantrum of theirs. And as much as I would love to skip this particularly gloomy chapter, it seems trying to beat back the horde of cranky bigots is the norm for now. Just hoping the lousy timing of all of this won't be the end of all of us with bigger fish to fry like climate change advancing ever steadily. It would be so much nicer if we could deal with one problem at a time, but sadly, life doesn't work that way and misery inducing things/people seem to come in bundles of unjoy.

[@heidihansen5793]

they do actually believe it. Not "might," they do believe it.

[@heatherhansen3664]

Alito is a feckless pos. It's perfectly acceptable to want racists and religious biggots to be excluded due to their bias when presiding over a case that deals with religion or race because they lack impartiality. It's no different than keeping a convicted rapist off a jury of a rape victim. I'm so done with the Alt Right and their cancerous tumor MAGA and all their hate zenophobia racism misogany sexism religious bigotry and homophobia. Enough is enough.

[@johnnysupreme5718]

@@videocrowsnest5251 ...You sound like someone that is outrageously bigotted and have a burning need to project that on someone else.

[@BardovBacchus]

In my experience, few people want to reflect on the possibility they have biases. Few want to face the bigotry they grew up with and are not aware of. So, they don't have much of a problem with bigotry, unless and until they are called on it. They really object to being called one, even though they never actually read the terms of service and just checked, I agree. However, some have considered and have chosen to hate intentionally, and I worry they are becoming more bold and more numerous

[@chrisjones5949]

One of the biggest problems we have in this country is the group of people, millions strong, who think that their religious beliefs should get to dictate how other people behave.

[@jesseteixeira6284]

They crave an ethnostate.

[@harrietharlow9929]

@@jesseteixeira6284 Theo-ethnostate

[@shecklesmack9563]

Just wait until you learn about Project 2025. If you have already, kudos to you

[@HollyAnneThePaganChaosWitch]

​​@@shecklesmack9563 I'm neurospicy and LGBT. So I am, very sadly, familiar with Project 2025.

[@GEOMETRICINK]

I just saw a video of a Christian pastor saying from the pulpit that if he were on a jury he’d let a rapist go free if the woman was dressed inappropriately. His idea of inappropriately dressed is women wearing pants. So yeah, I’d say they should be excluded. Obviously.

[@derekstoike2405]

was it Charlies video? Penguinz0?

[@snsnplpl]

"Pastor Bobby Leonard has apologized for saying he wouldn't convict a man for (assaulting) a woman who was wearing shorts"

[@johnnysupreme5718]

If we are going to start excluding people based on the most extreme examples available on the internet, being a part of whatever group you are part of would automatically be excluded, too.

[@machintelligence]

Shorts, actually; he was OK with pants. I have seen the video.

[@darquequeen]

@@snsnplplAnd when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.

[@clayfoster8234]

Alito is a monster.

[@TheJudoJoker]

In terms if world view, Alito is a bigger piece of fuck than Clarence Thomas. Plus, Clarence Thomas did legitimately come from a place of struggle and hardship. Alito is just a privileged bigot.

[@jefft5152]

And Thomas is a puppet.

[@KitaBelle23]

Worse than.

[@annagiesking5828]

I wish I could dismiss him so easily. But I have to swallow the bitter pill that he is, in fact, just an evil man. Painting him as something more or less than that just makes him harder to fight.

[@joanfregapane8683]

Alito is also in a snit because we can’t go back to the 19th century.

[@jts8053]

Here in Maryland, I was called to jury duty years ago. Some of us were sent to a courtroom for a case that turned out to be about a dog bite. The destruction of the animal was the probable result if the pet owner was found liable. The judge went around and asked each of us what our attitude or history with dogs was. On my turn, I explained I have had dogs all my life and I would have a VERY hard time voting for the euthanizing of a dog for any non-medical reason (I like dogs far more than I like most people). The judge excused me and a few others with similar responses. He also excused a woman who declared she *disliked* dogs due to a bad childhood experience and she would be LESS sympathetic to the dog owner's case. None of us felt that the dismissals were unjustified. Even though we COULD have lied and stayed on the jury to influence the case in a way we might prefer!

[@dominicfucinari1942]

Except I'd be too afraid of getting pinched on a perjury charge to lie about any of those biases. In my childhood, very few of the pets I lived with had well-prepared owners, and it was always a fight to avoid stepping in their (censored), so the bond between a pet and its owner is a foreign concept to me.

[@marquisdelafayette1929]

Felons are automatically excluded from jury duty because “they’d be biased against the prosecutors and cops”. But when it’s reversed then yes, cops and prosecutors and their families can serve on the jury. Which honestly tells you what you need to know. They did a study actually and found felons to be the most impartial and engaged compared to others.. probably because they understand the gravity of the situation.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

@@marquisdelafayette1929 You don't have to be an ex-convict to have strong ex-cop feelings. Often just being aware of events is enough.

[@steelfeathers3827]

"They SHOULD be labeled and treated as bigots, because that's what they are." Amen!

[@warthog618]

Alito just realized he would've been excused as a juror. Yet he sits on the SCOTUS.

[@DawnDavidson]

Scarily true.

[@mattmorehouse9685]

Hence why SCOTUS should have term limits and impeachment. But the power mad conservatives will bitch that the constitution is inviolable, now that they've got their backwards dictators on the bench.

[@katyungodly]

If we draw it to its ultimate conclusion, they would allow people to commit hate crimes in the name of religion without punishment.

[@VelaiciaCreator]

Yeah, that would be the crusades. The religion is fundamentally BASED on that.

[@Andrea.1tree]

That is the ultimate goal of their push for a theocratic authoritarian government. Too dumb to understand that they would eventually lose everything they say they want. Like freedom, the right to vote, and eventually the 2nd amendment too.

[@gabrielmaroto18]

He who makes you believe absurdities will make you commit atrocities

[@ragauerk9310]

Like what the Taliban and Saudis do.

[@chong2389]

​@@VelaiciaCreatorRadical Christian Extremists. They have lost their perceived 'moral highground'.

[@FireElement7]

It's scary that supreme court judges don't understand the whole separation of church and state part of our constitution. In fact, there are way too many people in power that seem to have that problem.

[@sloanekuria3249]

It's not that they don't understand, it's that they want to undermine it intentionally. We used to call them traitors, now they're in charge

[@geekcollage]

​​@@termsofusepolice it was specifically not "baked in". Assholes still make bad laws based on religious morals because alot of their constituents wanted them is still democracy. A stupid choice, but still democracy. I could a give you the history of blue laws and the temperance movement, but you can search that easily. This is different. This religious bigotry Alito peddles is forcing your incredibly unpopular beliefs on others around you. It's authoritarian rule in spite of what people actually want. It's a nuance that's important. I completely agree with this video's take on it. Because religious freedom is about me practicing my beliefs, but not forcing them on others.

[@starfishsystems]

Yes. One of the implications of separation of church and state is that jury selection should generally not concern itself with the religious affiliation of potential jurors. But it SHOULD concern itself with bigotry, whatever justification may be given for it. A bigoted juror is a biased juror, by definition. It just so happens that most religions automatically provide cover for bigotry because most religions are based on irrational claims to begin with. But in most cases that's incidental to the matter at hand. There is a special case where religious affiliation comes under scrutiny, and that's if some specific doctrinal feature of that religion would be clearly prejudicial to a fair trial. Unfortunately, a commitment to irrational belief in one area is not sufficient grounds to doubt a juror's capacity for rational belief in general. If it were, we might be left with an empty jury pool!

[@dominicfucinari1942]

In the event that Alito, let alone most of Leonard Leo's disciples, are Opus Dei, the US can't depend on them to use aboveboard tactics to achieve their ends.

[@harrietharlow9929]

Oh, they understand. They jut don't care and in fact want to impose their religious bullshit on others.

[@tofu_golem]

As someone observed, conservatism has only one tenet: that there are in-groups that the law should protect but not bind, and out-groups that the law binds, but does not protect.

[@user-mg5mv2tn8q]

The economist John Kenneth Galbraith said, "The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness." Maybe he should have included hate, too.

[@dtb8663]

☝💯

[@howardlanus8467]

Clearly they share the Puritans' idea of religious freedom. Not the freedom FROM religious oppression, but the freedom TO oppress others based on religion.

[@chong2389]

The real legacy of the 'revered' Pilgrims'. 😡

[@loiskampp5105]

Anybody who relies on a religious text rather than the law to determine a legal right or wrong should certainly not be allowed to serve in determining the outcome of a legal proceeding.

[@natbarmore]

A big part of the problem is legal experts (or at least legal authorities) who seem to sincerely believe that there couldn’t possibly be _any_ laws, because there couldn’t possibly be _any_ morality or societal norms or even the concept of something being wrong, without religion.

[@Crow-me1er]

I’ll see your reasonable statement and I raise you A Alabama kind sir!! Now what?!?!

[@user-ez6jr9oo9f]

We've got better and more wisdom than they do.

[@nessunodorme3888]

But what is the difference, really? The law says theft is illegal and the religious text says, "thou shalt not steal"! Our laws are not as isolated from religion as we may think and the same goes for our supposedly dispassionate reasoning.

[@goldenzed6455]

@@nessunodorme3888 Well, there are some few parts where what is considered illegal or a sin in religious text is not legally or morally defined as a crime by the law. For example. Some religious people believe homosexuality or any sexuality that isn't heterosexuality is a sin according to their religious beliefs. But being homosexual is not morally wrong or legally wrong as you are not inherently ruining someone else's life by simply being a homosexual unlike other crimes such as being a robber, a scam artist, or a fraud.

[@Lrbearclaw]

As a Christian: You hit the nail on the head! The entitlement of "Christians" is absurd. I am so sick of people claiming faith as their shield for their hatred. Anyone who has ever read the Bible would know that Jesus himself spoke against this shit.

[@melodygarrison7531]

And god is the most disgusting evil fictional character in a book ever!

[@naomisoltesz9890]

Jesus? Maybe. Yahweh? Not so much. Have you read the Bible? Specifically the Old Testament. I recommend every Christian read it.

[@soonmipark9791]

Please preach your opinions to everyone. I am so tired of so called Christians. They are cosplaying as Christians. Even the pastors are only cosplaying, not true Christians.

[@alisonjones8861]

Why should we care what the Bible says? It's a book written by some men. And how do you know what that one man in that book would or would not have done?

[@Flippylover_69]

@@naomisoltesz9890Don’t y’all follow Jesus too? Why should his word suddenly not matter when you need an excuse to be an asshole? That Jesus dude said “Love thy neighbor”, that sounds like a much nicer rule to live by than “Love thy neighbor… until he’s something I don’t like”

[@renatocorvaro6924]

It's important to note that they were excluded "for believing homosexuality is a sin" and not "for being Christian". Most of my family is Christian and none of them believe homosexuality is a sin (though a couple of them are homophobic for non-religious reasons). You don't need to be a bigot to be a Christian; you're making a choice to be an asshole.

[@wirelesmike73]

As a Christian, I agree 100% with Steve here. And, this is precisely why the writers of the Consitution stipulated a separation of church and state. That separation should extend, (likely, even more so) to our judicial system. My personal faith doesn't outweigh anyone else's rights, nor should it. And, I'll add that my faith teaches love, forgiveness, and acceptance. Jesus was a radicle Lefty. Today's Conservative Republicans can't stand that idea, but they need to f---ing get over it. And they need to be reminded that we left England to escape religious persecution, not to replace it with some other religious persecution. America is not, and was never meant to be, a f---ing theocracy! Any similarities between Biblical law [the 10 commandments] and federal law are coincidental. They merely overlap because morality doesn't require the presence or judgment of religion.

[@itsOasus]

When Alito's time comes, I certainly won't shed a tear.

[@mth1022]

I could've sworn he had already died, but I must be confusing him with someone else.

[@itsOasus]

@@mth1022 Scalia. Died in 2015 and the Republican Senate literally held it open until Trump was sworn in.

[@jedidiahhenry6020]

​@@mth1022possibly just wishful thinking

[@TheMisterGuy]

@@mth1022 Antonin Scalia, maybe?

[@RandyWinn42]

c@@mth1022 You may be thinking the equally corrupt and even more pretentious Scalia, who made the world a better place Feb 13, 2016 while enjoying a fancy vacation with a bunch of rich lawyers at a Texas "ranch".

[@MotherofOdin]

There’s no hate, like Christian hate. Vote💙. Save America from theocracy.

[@jefft5152]

Please, before we turn into the nation of Gilead.

[@jameslay1489]

The phrase is actually "There is no love like christian hate."

[@kerishannon775]

​@@jameslay1489 I thought the saying was "there is no hate like Christian love"

[@Frommerman]

Voting is what got us here.

[@Clawthorne]

@@FrommermanSo what alternative do you suggest? A monarchy? They already tried that in England. That's why we got the USA now.

[@BlueBeetle1939]

Livelong southerner and ive dealt with this crap my entire life they pretend everything not about them is a slight against them

[@waziotter]

Absolutely. You don't get a pass because your invisible friend told you to do it.

[@aprilbondmusic]

In contrast, I was kicked off a capital murder case in TX because I’m opposed to state executions. Is that not, at least potentially, religious discrimination? I don’t hear Alito objecting to my kind of exclusion (excluding those opposed to capital punishment is the standard where it is still legal for the state to kill people).

[@grmpEqweer]

But - but - but... Mah death state.

[@squiddwizzard8850]

It would be for me, as a Quaker. Fortunately I live in Michigan where that particular abomination has been stopped.

[@Zeupater]

The Constitution doesn’t guarantees the right to serve on a jury. Just a right to a fair trial. Alito tips his hand here.

[@andiralosh2173]

"It's not bigotry it's religion" is an important admision of institutional hatred

[@kerishannon775]

Hi Steve! You made some excellent points. I would rather have you on the Supreme Court than Alito. He is a disgrace to the robe he wears. The fact that he went back to 17th century England and quotef a witch burner as justification for his ruling against Roe vs. Wade, shows how desperate he is to enforce his religious views on all of us.

[@mattmorehouse9685]

The piece of shit really did that? Like with so much of conservatism, it appears the rule is "Do as I say, not as I do." Hell, that's one of the main reasons I'm a liberal; with Obama my conservative father was all for obstruction and not governing. Then Trump got in and he started whining "Oh, but we have to govern." So the party of principle is only in it for power? Why then should I go with the two faced bastards that want to enrich the already mighty, as opposed to those who at least give lip service to helping the poor?

[@bsqwahlE]

Yup, that floored me. Like, really?

[@jimballard1186]

The arrogance blows my mind. "God is omniscient and omnipotent, but also I understand everything He wants and, can you believe it, it turns out He likes everything I like and hates everything I hate!" I think I could respect a religious person who says, "Look, I don't get why being gay is a big deal, but if God says it is then I guess I gotta go along with it," except they never do that, do they? They insist they know the mind that existed before the concepts of time, space, and physical matter existed.

[@JustMe-dc6ks]

Believing in religiously mandated bigotry is bad enough, but still their right. It’s trying to impose the views and strictures of your religion on others is inexcusable and is forbidden by the first amendment.

[@gronank]

Some people create a sock-puppet god for themselves, to justify their feelings and preconceptions.

[@KristopherBel]

They have to do it this way because if you honestly read the scripture it doesn't really support their bigotry, at least not anymore than it supports a bunch of outdated rules and ideas that they no longer follow. So if they don't pretend to just know they have to have a long hard look at why they don't follow a bunch of explicit rules in the Bible but do make big sweeping statements based on inference.

[@spacelemur7955]

Wanna have fun? Ask a Christian to explain how something powerful enough to create this gigantic universe selfcreated.

[@petehoover6616]

About abortion Alito said the reason he perjured himself during his confirmation hearing was that the end justified the means. He said it in Latin, and he got the Latin wrong.

[@gaian2000]

I am a Boomer who was raised as a privileged white male Christian. No, we were not wealthy, but the REASON we were not wealthy had nothing to do with the color of our skin. It took several severe traumas to give me the courage to question my basic assumptions around age 30. I went from "Jesus Freak" to Humanist and from Republican to Democrat. I let go of all the prejudices which were part of my Southern Baptist childhood brainwashing. Once you see the "man behind the curtain" there is no going back. I have no interest in going back to the way I was raised. It is more important to honor and respect future generations than your parent's traditions.

[@dano8902]

If I ever hear that Alito and Thomas have been caught live on national television getting attacked and eaten by wild coyotes, I'm getting a bucket of popcorn and enjoying the show.

[@rebeccaholcombe9043]

Clearly that would be an act of God.

[@grmpEqweer]

That wouldn't be good for the coyotes. But I guess junk food is OK in moderation.

[@angeliquaserenity5009]

​@@grmpEqweer😆😆

[@CantankerousDave]

In horror movies, they use a cross to ward off monsters. In America, they use a cross to ward off accountability and pesky questions.

[@SiriusMined]

He would change his tune if it were three antitheists, with a bias against Christian that they could claim was their religious belief

[@foppishdilletaunt9911]

Mr Mehta deserves a subscription @ The Friendly Atheist.

[@ttintagel]

One person's freedom ends at the point where it impinges on another's. Tom and Dick have the freedom to practice their religion, up to the point where it infringes on Harry's right to a fair and impartial hearing in court.

[@DrDnd4nyer]

Damn you hit this one out of the park - Alito is prepping us for the rise of Gilead.

[@gabrielmaroto18]

Yet they have nothing to say about corporate greed ?

[@michaellane5381]

Sure they do, their answer to that is "yes, please"😅

[@gabrielmaroto18]

There’s no hate like Christian love !

[@mainely8007]

Aggressively hateful bigots who have given up on winning people over - now they will force us and think it's what god wants.

[@lakegroce685]

I went to a very religious high school that more or less taught us to have this mindset. That faith was a free pass to say things like “ gay people shouldn’t exist.” Hell I had a teacher who said, with absolute conviction” Being gay is the same as being a child predator.” He even used the hypothetical of him saying that being queer is the same as him wanting yo have sex with his own daughter. The whole class was taken aback by this, but then he used the logic that “ This is what god says, I’m just preaching it.”I was still questioning my own sexuality at the time, but that screwed my up for a long time. I would not want that man to be on a jury that had any queer or trans people involved. Your faith is not an impenetrable shield that means you can say whatever you want without someone criticizing it.

[@mr.dirtydan3338]

Keep fighting the good fight brother

[@lexxstrum]

I have always wondered how Christians would feel if the shoe was on the other foot: If say a Muslim doctor refused to treat a Christian woman because of his beliefs, or if a Jewish lawyer refused to assist a Christian client because of a religious belief. I wonder how long they'd cry about it, and how unfair it is to them.

[@charlestownsend9280]

Well. They admitted to bias if they were part of the jury and therefore were not fit for being on the jury. There's also a separate of church and state issue, where religious views shouldn't affect the law or legal decisions (even if they sometimes do).

[@jefft5152]

This is literally so he could write that opinion and the Reicht Wing can point at it and say, "The Supreme Court says..."

[@mainely8007]

A jury must be impartial - having a religious or personal objection to either the defendant or plaintiff renders you ineligible full stop.

[@patrickdodds7162]

Faith-based bigotry is as cowardly a form of bigotry as the kind that is based on so-called political reasons. I have a subatomic particle more respect for those who own their hate, which is the nucleus of bigotry, who are open and honest for the contempt for others if not for humanity or even all of life-kind. In my view: if someone is honest about being despicable they should at least own it and display it loud and proud. That at least has some guts.

[@MLBlue30]

Sadly, we only have that honesty from fictional villains. Most like to keep their skeletons fully in the closet. The essence of true evil is to con yourself into thinking you are still the good guy. Most atrocities are started with "good intentions", selishess as good deeds.

[@janikbuser2604]

So according to Alito in the case of a terrorist attack there also should be jurors allowed that support terrorist attacks in the name of religion?

[@nibblesnbits]

It's always the big decisions that make it on the news. You don't often hear about the precedent set by cases the courts REFUSE to hear. Good stuff.

[@jefft5152]

Yes, and a disturbing new trend is for lawyers to cite the dissenting opinions as facts.

[@EdDale44135]

I think Alito is even more out of line than you say, because the two jurors were excluded by the lesbian’s attorney as part of voir dire. It is not unique that a juror be excluded because the attorney saw them as someone they did not want on the jury. So he is saying now that jurors who are Christian deserve more than other jurors.

[@blairbrown4812]

A maryland-based, queer- friendly atheist KZbinr and a Star Trek fan to boot? Subscribed.

[@drschonify]

As a practicing Heathen in a backward red state I would be terrified to be on trial by a jury of followers of the god of abraham.

[@grmpEqweer]

He's not the only God, He's just a selfish jerk of a deity, and his followers show it.

[@dragondancer1814]

As an Eclectic Wiccan, my worst nightmare is Twitler and the Rethuglican Religious Reich turning this country into a fascist theocracy where Alito’s backwards ideas towards religious freedom would have me marked for death because of “religious treachery!”

[@squiddwizzard8850]

Hell, I'm Christian and I'd be scared.

[@lainimitchell6312]

Term limits is REQUIRED at this point.

[@davidbowles7281]

It won't help and isn't necessary.

[@jrsydvl7218]

A KZbinr was dismissed from a jury pool for being too educated. There are several studies that show educated jurors are more likely to be dismissed.

[@ethankiter9323]

Jeeze Frank Zappa really warned us about the “Christian Right” didn’t he

[@jimglasco]

Larry Flint made fun of them....

[@Anglomachian]

Whaaaa? Bigots will be called bigots and treated like bigots? Say it ain’t so, America! Say it ain’t so!

[@Onodera1980]

It seems like the equal protection clause should be protecting the plaintiffs and defendants from potential jury bias.

[@doneestoner9945]

I love Hemant Mehta. He is so intelligent, he was on Jeopardy a few years ago, which I saw.

[@normative]

Almost as disturbing as the substantive holding in the Alabama IVF ruling was the Chief Justice's bald invocation of his personal theological views, as though they were relevant to a legal opinion. It would be naive to imagine those views haven't long colored the rulings of many jurists, but it seems like a dangerous turn that some no longer even feel obliged to publicly invoke strictly secular legal reasoning.

[@agent42q]

I have exactly two notes for you. 1. Saying it doesn't matter that they're assholes. It does. 2. Leaving silence for just a half second longer on the video would have made that last line hit 10x harder! Brilliant stuff. Keep it coming.

[@mandipandi303]

I couldn't agree more! As a disabled queer person with religious trauma who has personally experienced the horrors these people can wreak outside of the law, I fear what they could do with even more power. I shudder to think about them as jurors on so many types of cases. We must question potential jurors carefully to make sure they're not bigots, whether the bigotry is motivated by religion or not (but let's face it, most of the time, people use religion to justify their bigotry).

[@alistairmackintosh9412]

The problem is inconsistency. Alito decided the state of Florida could exclude jurors from a death penalty case if they had a religious (christian) objection to the death penalty. I also suspect that he would have no objection to jurors being excluded if they believed their religion supported jury nullification or defined themselves as sovereign citizens.

[@marjae2767]

They previously ruled that the gov't can bar potential jurors from death penalty cases, if the jurors refuse to kill/authorize killing. That includes those who have religious objections.

[@yllekkram]

I there there is another angle to this that you have overlooked. I may be misunderstanding Judge Alito's point but it occurs to me that he does not want somebody's rights to be infringed upon because of their religious views. However, they're rights are not being infringed upon by being denied the opportunity to participate in a jury. It's the rights of the plaintiff that have been infringed upon. There are numerous substantive reasons that judge Alito really should not be a judge or involved in any part of the legal profession at all based on this statement and the statements about roe versus Wade.

[@robertmiller9735]

We have decades of precedent that Alito does, in fact, want people's rights to be infringed because of their religious views-if they're different from his. The freedom talk is just a tool and should be rejected out of hand.

[@williamb9422]

"When I am weaker than you, I ask you for freedom because that is according to your principles; when I am stronger than you, I take away your freedom because that is according to my principles." - Frank Herbert

[@epichoagie5999]

Alito can get bent. People shouldn't get special treatment and privileges because of their book fandoms. It is impossible for a bigot to be impartial. Hands down. Case closed. Get lost.

[@BrianRRenfro]

Exactly. It all comes down to impartial jury. Also in this case the fact she was a lesbian really has no bearing on WHY it's being tried. That was his motive. The reason was the MO DOC didn't stop the workplace harassment. The people excused from jury duty were going to base at least a little bit, if not more, of their judgement on something that has no real sway to what is being tried. They 100 percent should not have been there and there 100 percent should be no "Well ya know, maybe" about it.

[@jeffschroeder4805]

How could a lesbian ever get justice with jury members convinced that lesbians should rot in hell? Jurists are questioned to determine if they can give an unbiased fair judgment and unfortunately many Christians righteously and sanctimoniously take every opportunity to inflict their bigotry on others. The court's determination makes sense to me. Thank God, we are not subject to the laws of their church teachings.

[@michaelold6695]

Doesn’t both the defence and the prosecution get the opportunity to strike potential jurors if they feel the jurors are biased against their case? The process voir dire

[@dr.veronica6155]

Rightwingers have always interpreted the first amendment's free speech promise as what you described as "thinking they can go through life as a bigot without catching shit for it."

[@kohashiguchi1454]

Passion and logic are a scarce combination. You have both and it makes you very rewarding to listen to you.

[@kohai-kun9261]

In a JUST society, Alito's comments should have been grounds for immediate and permanent dismissal from his post, as well as his being barred from ever working as a judge or serving on a jury again. It is deeply saddening that so, SO many people in this country are so uncritical of the status quo that the rest of us are forced to literally "just have to let some prejudices die out with the people/groups who hold them". Some of these people end up living to be well past their 80s and 90s, and I, for one, don't feel like being forced to wait another 20-40 years just to live in a country where the seperation of church and state is a meaningful one. I loathe Christianity *deeply* and its exactly because of shit like this.

[@kiwikea2002]

Exactly this. But, hold your thought - I'm afraid there is more to come. Thank you in any case.

[@bobpeters61]

I've long said that conservatives think that their freedom of religion is infringed by granting it to others.

[@mikelnu8224]

I believe that capital punishment is a sin - and am excluded from the jury pool in a capital punishment case.

[@amilcarcampbell2405]

The only time i ever hear about religion nowadays is for bigoted people to make up excuses for taking away other people's rights.

[@dago_enfuego4120]

Samuel Alito is arguably one of the most extreme ideologues to have served on the Supreme Court. His legacy may very well be remembered as one of the most divisive in American judicial history.

[@bryna7]

You need to run for political office, Steve.

[@Insightfill]

Alito: "And while we're talking about gay marriage..." The rest of the US: "Nobody was talking about..." (Clarence Thomas had something similar a few years ago.)

[@shawnbird6269]

This is my favorite video from Steve so far. I'm a Christian, and I have a gay daughter. When she came out, I didn't worry that God was going to punish her. I was worried about pathetic bigots and fake Christians wanting to punish her, still am.

[@kenirainseeker539]

If bigots want to stop being called bigots, they should simply choose to stop being bigots, simple as that.

[@mysteryman9020]

Don't potential jurors often say things that will get them out of jury duty? I've had jury duty three times already. If they pick me once more, I'm going to make up some reason to get out of it for a fourth time. BTW, good job Steve Shives.

[@mrb.5610]

Bigotry ok for me but not for thee, I guess.

[@jefft5152]

Everything from the repugnant party is rules for the not for me.

[@jefft5152]

Also, the hate for homosexuality... The call is always coming from within the house.

[@Insightfill]

4:16 The word "prejudice" is right there. "Pre-judge."

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

I am a lawyer and an atheist and pretty far left. I haven't read this case, so I am only opining on your telling of Hemet's telling of it. The general principal of law here is supposed to be whether a juror can reasonably set aside their prejudices and decide the case fairly. I, for example, find most organized religions to be pretty reprehensible. But if someone were suing for religious discrimination I certainly believe that I could decide that case fairly as a juror and not be influenced by my view of religon. And I imagine many who share the same religious beliefs as the person claiming discrimination could do likewise. The court should only exclude people from the jury if they believe that they CANNOT set aside their personal prejudices. Lawyers are free to use their preemptory strikes against people based on their prejudices. They can't use them just because of a religious affiliation, but if they have a religious belief that includes a relevant prejudice, then they could. But the judge should not be dismissing them for cause unless the judge believes they can't set those prejudices aside. Otherwise, in my hypothetical case, who could serve on the jury? Certainly nobody who shares that person's religious beliefs. And also nobody who disagrees with that person's religious beliefs. That'd make it pretty hard to find a jury.

[@coasterblocks3420]

My view is that the religious have gotten a free pass for discriminating against other for so long, that some pay back is in order. I have a policy of not employing anyone who is overtly religious and have sacked a Christian for incessantly expressing his religious based homophobia in the workplace despite numerous warning to shut the f*ck up.

[@jenniferhunter4074]

I question the ability of a religious person to be able to set aside their religious beliefs. It's not like having an opinion on pizza or football teams. I would consider a religious person to be mentally incapacitated and unfit to make sane judgments if the case involves some religious implications. I mean.. they're not mentally sane because they still believe in magic to the point that they will tithe or perform magic spells and expect results. You're an atheist. That means you aren't going to be looking at some magical fairy for advice. You probably don't think of your imaginary soul going to heaven though you might think of your legacy. But a religious person might start thinking about heaven or their immortal soul and that means they must not be trusted with the care or power to endanger others due to their mental delusion. Alito is my evidence that the religious should not have a say in society. Alito had to go back to the dark ages to find a justification to repeal Roe V. Wade. He couldn't use modern medical science or modern morals or modern philosophy. That ruling proves my point. His religiosity could not be separated from the reality of life in 2020s. He is MY example of why the religious must not have a say in society. He's mentally ill. Magical gods. Magical spells. He quoted a guy from back when they thought humors or miasma caused disease and they thought witches were real. Is that not a sign of being unfit? Exactly what I expect from a religious individual.. insanity. Tell me, would you have made that ruling of Dobbs based on your atheism? It was only his religiosity that justified that judicial nonsense.

[@brianschwartz7937]

From what I read of the particulars of the case, that was the part at issue. The potential jurors in question stated that, while they believed that homosexuality is a sin, they would endeavor to set aside their religious views to rule fairly on the case. The judge dismissed them for cause -- though I do not recall if the dismissal was purely the judge's decision or if it was originally the plaintiff's attorneys' who requested the dismissal and the judge granted it -- effectively making a judgement that those individuals would NOT be able to set aside their prejudices enough to rule fairly.

[@unkabawbs]

Spot on Steve. Fukin hell

[@BankC6969]

Oh yeah, I got the SUPER FUN “opportunity” to visit a gay “rehab” facility when I was 17. That was really fun. I had to learn to hate myself because they told me I was broken. Ugg. 😡🤬

[@evanrutledge-sz4yo]

Hey, as someone who still considers themself a Christian/relgious, I’m really sorry for the pain and trauma you’ve experienced. I’m sorry for the bigotry and hatred that was afflicted on you, gay “rehab” sounds horrible. As a person I’m ashamed of the American Church, it’s full of hypocrisy and hatred, two things the Bible talks most against. They “expose” others sins yet break the most important teachings, Love your neighbor as yourself. I know you most likely have a strong distaste for Christian’s, or religious people in general, and you’re warranted in your hatred, I don’t see how you couldn’t. As someone who, as of recently, is reassessing their Homophobic and other hateful beliefs, embedded into me by my pastor and watching the wrong people in general. (Mat Walsh), I’m sorry, I’m trying to be better, and build a world I can be proud of when I die, no matter what awaits for me after. I hope you can forgive, but I understand if you can’t.

[@muffenme]

A fare trial should contain the truth of what happened and the juries must have an unbiased option on the information provided. No religion, sexuality, or personal belief should be included in the final answer that this person is guilty or not. But we all know that doesn't always happen. Justice is sometimes blind.

[@a88aiello]

If I'm on jury duty and say I don't like a specific demographic, say police maybe, then if the case involves a cop they will not select me for that case because I am already biased! It don't matter why I am biased!

[@mattrobinson47]

Thank God for peremptory challenges to jurors. Long may their impartial dismissals waive

[@RictusHolloweye]

So, if I'm up on a murder charge and I say I'm just following traditional religious beliefs that involve killing people who work on the Sabbath, wear mixed fabrics, disobey their parents, etc... would Alito be in favour of acquittal?

[@lindaburnette675]

Exactly! What's really alarming and concerning is that your conclusion is more just, fair, and logical than that of a Supreme Court Justice!!!

[@gro_skunk]

My grandfather was a D-Day paratrooper and I remember he would carry a pocket version of The Constitution in his glovebox just so he could school people who would claim it mentions God or Christianity, it does not, he was not anti-religion, he was anti-stupid.

[@EMBer3000]

Not all religious people are crazy but the craziest people all seem to have a religious reason for doing what they do.

[@rowanmarlow7402]

Hey man, just wanted to say I really appreciate these kinds of videos. Often I seen stuff and think "that's not right" but I don't have the words to say why. "Faith-based prejudice" is now in my arsenal, thank you.

[@Harry-xt6ev]

You're a better carpenter than Jesus the way you hit the nail on the head.

[@petehoover6616]

Carpenters don't use nails much anymore. They use screws driven in by electric drills. Much quieter now.

[@petehoover6616]

Oh. Due to the difficulty of hand-forging nails Jesus would have mostly used wooden pegs rather than nails.

[@snrub2000]

You have such an amazing way to articulate your argument! I love your videos! Keep making them please!

[@Junieboo927]

A little louder for the ones in the back! For the ones that need to hear it most.

[@DeadDancers]

So very well said. The reason for bigotry should never excuse it.

[@stefanyalpoesy42]

Nailed it! Thank you for calling this BS out so clearly and succinctly.

[@Dirico_Rants]

Love the video bro!

[@SteveShives]

Thank you, my friend!

[@morgandavid6908]

Found you by accident. So glad I did because I couldn't have said that any better. Thank you.

[@Joshth1983]

You said it all man, a bias is a bias no matter how you justify it. Alito is such a flawed jurist

[@graham2409]

I'm honestly more entertained by and excited to see your political videos than literally any other political content creator out there, including even the hallowed Jon Stewart (who is patiently sitting in another tab waiting on this video to finish). I follow news podcasts to keep up to date generally - I mainly only watch political stuff on youtube as comforting "chicken soup" so to speak where I can remind myself that genuinely decent people are out there who are engaged and care about society, and your videos are the absolute best for that!